A Shot in the Dark
by CastleTheory12
Summary: A shot in the dark affects Kate, Castle, and his family in ways they never expected. Which Castle enemy will emerge from the shadows? My first Castle Fan-fic. Takes place S5, with references to the first episode. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: This is my first Castle Fanfiction story. Please read and review. **

**Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.**

Chapter 1

She smiled hearing the familiar outbursts of laughter coming from the other end of the bullpen. As she placed pictures and evidence from the murder board she couldn't help overhear Detective Ryan talking about his upcoming romantic night with Jenny, Esposito's smack talking about kicking ass and taking names, and Castle's wild theories and epic conclusion to the case that was just solved, fit for his next Nikki Heat book.

As the boys said their goodnights and turned off their desk lamps, Detective Beckett began to blush. She could feel Castle's gaze on her as he strode slowly to her. The last photograph and file were neatly placed in the case evidence box, and her heart pounded at the waft of his cologne and the warmth of his presence.

"Another case solved by the extraordinary Detective Beckett," he grinned, placing his hand over hers on the box.

"With the help of her partner," she replied, her thumb caressing the back of his hand. The forceful magnetic pull of their chemistry began to take its hold as the space between them closed. The sound of pounding heels broke them apart as Captain Gates walked to her office, closing the door behind her.

"Ready to go?" Castle asked, clearing his throat. He took the coat off the back of her chair and held it up.

"I just need to put these in the back," she said fluffing her hair outside the jacket placed on her.

"I'll pick you up in an hour?" he whispered in a low seductive tone.

"Yeah," she exhaled.

She watched as the metallic elevator doors closed, smiling at the sight of Castle winking in her direction. _Still gives me butterflies,_ she thought. The very thought of her relationship with Castle made her feel a sense of home and family that she hadn't felt since that fateful night in January that turned her world upside down.

Punctuality was definitely a Castle asset. Exactly one hour later, Beckett heard a soft rhythmic pounding at her apartment door. In her bedroom mirror, she tucked the final hairs into place and pursed red lipstick between her lips. Taking an anxious breath, she opened the door to reveal Richard Castle, dressed in his most fashionable suit and dashing smile that revealed subtle dimples on his cheeks.

"Hey," she smiled.

He was breathless at the sight of his love dressed in a long sapphire dress that flattered her every curve, looking classy and mysterious as she often did. A warm light graced her auburn hair that was gracefully swept into curls in the back of her head.

"You look incredible," he uttered slowly, lips turned up into a grin.

"Thanks. You clean up nicely. As always," she blushed.

"Ready?" Castle spoke charmingly holding out his arm.

"Yeah." She grabbed her shimmering handbag resting on the table, and held her boyfriend's arm.

Spooning the last bit of Tiramisu into her mouth, Kate moaned quietly in delight. The sound made the hairs on the back of Castle's neck stand on end.

"So I take it your meal was satisfactory?" Castle prompted, swallowing hard.

"Everything was perfect. Thank you." Kate dabbed her cloth napkin delicately on the corners of her mouth. The warmth of his gaze sent a tingly sensation through every inch of her skin. He dashingly waved for the check as she put on her long black button up coat. It was then that they briefly stared at each other from across the private table, taking in the moment that felt so surreal, yet so right—so natural.

"What would you like to do next?" Castle wondered. "Your wish is my command." Kate's response was brief and to the point.

"My place or yours?" she spoke seductively.

Raising one eyebrow, he pursed his lips together and naughtily winked. "My place is closer."

"Let's go." Castle shot up out of his chair with is childlike grin overcoming his features. A sense of urgency led to his rapid pulling out of bills and securing them in the black folder placed on the table moments ago by the waiter. He put on his coat, eagerly linking her arm with his.

Right on cue, the valet pulled up to the front of the restaurant, and Castle opened the Ferrari door, "My lady," he acquiesced.

The drive to Castle's apartment was quiet, their intertwined hands and significant glances doing all the talking. In mere minutes Castle parked his car in his usual spot outside his building. With a spring in his step he opened Kate's door, offering a chivalrous hand. "Thank you," she smiled.

"Only the best for my Kate," he said confidently. Nervously she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, looking briefly at her feet, giving her a moment to deliberate her reply.

"Oh, so I'm _your_ Kate huh? When did this shift of ownership take place?" It was conversations like these that made Castle's heart and mind race.

Sliding an arm around her waist and pulling her close he responded, "I don't know…around the time that you captured my heart. You've had my heart for longer than you realize."

She reached her arms around his neck. "Oh is that so? You're all mine?"

He nodded. "Always." Kate felt his lips gently caress hers. "I love you, Kate," he said once again.

She never tired of hearing it, yet she hadn't spoken the same words to him. It never before felt like the right time, but suddenly she found herself unable to contain the words any longer, "I love you too." They blurted out suddenly, taking Castle by pleasant surprise.

He pulled his arms around his waist and urged, "Say it again."

Looking directly into his blue eyes with only the stars and street lamps as witnesses, she repeated, "I love you," sealing the words with a kiss.

Nearly gasping for air while leaning his forehead against hers, he said, "It's getting chilly. We should take this party inside." Nodding, Kate let her hand be taken into is as they turned the street corner and headed toward the lobby door.

Without warning, a loud yet familiar POP echoed off the brick walls around them causing Kate to immediately tense. She reached behind her back in the inside of her jacket out of habit, only to feel the smoothness of her form-fitting gown.

"Kate?!" That was a tone of panic that she had not heard come from Richard Castle's mouth—not ever. She turned her head, seeing only the side of the building. Instantly her heart fell deep into her chest. Castle was on his knees, hand covering his upper left chest.

"CASTLE!" She knelt down in front of him frantically. His eyes were wide. She had never seen this unique blend of fear and sadness within them. Blood was trailing between his fingers, down the backside of his hand. She pulled his hand away, only to reveal a bullet wound. "Lay down. Everything is going to be ok. Just hold on." She was determined to keep her wits about her. He needed her now more than ever. She whipped out her phone and dialed 911. Rick squeezed his eyelids tightly, refusing to scream out in pain. He had stay calm—steady is breath—for her. He reached out for her hand for comfort.

"This is Detective Kate Beckett, badge number 41319, I need an ambulance to..."

Gradually the sound of her voice became quiet, as if she were being muted in Castle's mind. He could see her lips moving, her eyes darting everywhere looking for the shooter, being the amazing cop he had come to know, love, and admire. His lungs were working sluggishly take in air and it was getting harder for him to stay awake. "Kate," he strained.

Putting the phone in her lap, she comforted, "Shhh. Don't talk. An ambulance is on its way."

"Remember your promise. Alexis. Take care of—"

"No _you_ remember _your_ promise," she argued. "You said you'd never leave me. You promised me always." Tears were nearing the brim of her eye, but she was refusing to let them fall.

Rick could feel in eyelids weighing heavy and his will to keep them open tiring. With all the strength he had left he said sternly, "Kate." He let his serious stare say the rest.

"I promise," she said shakily, a tear emerging against her will down her cheek. The sound of ambulance sirens was nearing as Castle's skin was paling. "Help is almost here, Rick. Stay with me." She leaned close to his ear and whispered, "I love you…so much." When she looked at his face again his eyes were closed, face relaxed. His hand was limp in hers. "No! Castle! Wake up. Wake up!"

It was then that the ambulance pulled up and three paramedics leapt out of the vehicle. "Ma'am, back up." She heard the words, but could not find the will to move—until a paramedic pulled her away while the other two began CPR, added an oxygen mask and checked for vitals.

"Castle," she spoke again, letting her tears flow freely.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's note: Reviews are most appreciated. **

**Disclaimer: Characters of Castle are not mine. **

Chapter 2

She argued her way onto the ambulance with him. He was stable, but barely. Her eyes were trained on each monitor and wire as she held his cool hand. "I'm right here, Rick," she repeated.

She ran after the rolling gurney as it traveled to emergency surgery, frustrated at how her gown was not allowing her to run faster. It wasn't long before two white swinging doors closed mocking her by reading _Authorized personnel only._ Her hands wiped over her face and hair, completely oblivious to the bloodstains that were on them.

The sterile smell instantly hit her with a wave of nausea. She needed to focus on her next move. She needed to be his strength as he had been for her countless times. She navigated her way to the nurse's station. She would start there.

Kate stared at her phone after she plopped in her chair. She had so many people to call and she didn't know if she could endure telling the nightmare more than once.

"Kate, is everything ok?" Lanie said sleepily.

"No," she cried, "Castle was shot. He's in surgery. It doesn't look good." Kate's hand covered her mouth after she said the words out loud, in disbelief that she was actually speaking her worst fear.

"I'm on my way," Lanie assured. "Is there anything you need me to do?"

"Can you call Espo and Ryan for me? Have them meet us here?"

"Sure. I'll be there as soon as I can, Sweetie."

"Thanks." With that the phone call ended and she knew she had at least one more to make. She chose to call Martha. She knew she couldn't deliver such news to Alexis without completely losing it.

Taking a deep breath and wiping at her nose, Kate brought the dialed phone to her ear. "Kate, Darling, how are you?" Martha said cheerfully.

"Martha," she choked.

"What's wrong? Is it Richard?" The seriousness of her tone was eerie to Kate.

"Castle was shot. We're at the hospital. He's in surgery." She tried to sound calm and reassuring, but was failing miserably.

"Oh dear god!" Martha gasped. "I'll get Alexis. We'll be there as soon as we can." She hung up before Kate could utter another word. It was just Kate and silence together now. She glanced down at herself, staring in disbelief that just an hour or so ago she had been so happy and in love, having moments that she had only dreamed of, and now she was here—about to lose it all. Why?

It was going on a half hour that she was sitting in those chairs and she still couldn't seem to steady her hands. She kept looking down the hallway at the doors where the love of her life got whisked away. She needed answers, but couldn't find the strength to move. That is until Lanie, Javi, and Kevin locked eyes with hers and walked quickly toward her.

Lanie sat in the chair next to her instantly noticing the dried blood in her friend's hair, on parts of her face, and her hands. She sadly looked up at Javi and Kevin who showed equal concern. "What happened?" she asked softly, taking Kate's hand into hers.

"We had dinner. We parked the car, walked toward the doors of his apartment building, and the next thing I know I hear the sound of a gunshot. I tried to see who the shooter was but all I saw was black and streetlamps. It must've been a sniper." Everyone looked at each other at the word sniper. It was a word they all came to despise. "Then Castle fell to his knees, and now here we are."

Martha and Alexis came running in frantically next. "Kate!" They both shouted. Kate instantly stood up, quickly wiping away her tears. She needed to be strong now.

"Where's my dad? Is he ok? What happened?" Alexis asked immediately noticing her father's blood all over Kate. Martha stood next to her, holding onto the young woman's arm.

"He's in surgery. I haven't gotten in update since we got here, but he was shot in the chest. I think it was a sniper."

"A sniper? Why would someone want to kill my dad? What is going on?"

"I wish I knew. We were just walking to your place and the shot came out of nowhere. We had no warning." Alexis looked at her Gram and a look of fear developed into anger.

"Does this have to do with your mother's case?" Kate looked at her team.

"I don't think so, but there is no way of knowing for sure until we investigate."

"Ryan and I will look at any street cameras and see if we can find anything," Detective Esposito offered.

"I'll send uniforms to nearby rooftops to see if they can find evidence of a shooter," Ryan added.

Kate forced a reassuring smile, "I promise you, we _will_ find who did this."

"You'd better," Alexis quipped. Kate looked up at Martha's teary eyes whom was nodding as if to say, "She's just blowing off some steam. Don't take it personally."

The tension in the air was interrupted by the sound of a male voice, "I'm looking for the family of Richard Castle?"

"Yes?" Martha, Alexis, and Kate said simultaneously.

"How is he?" asked Martha.

"We removed the bullet that tore through his pulmonary artery. We are trying to repair the artery, however, his left lung collapsed, and he did lose a lot of blood." Kate, Martha, and Alexis went weak in the knees. "He is stable for now," the male nurse offered, "and we will let you know when he is out of surgery."

As the informant walked away, Lanie stood between the three worried women, attempting to mitigate the melancholy silence by saying, "At least he's stable. They know what the problems are and they're fixing them. Castle is strong and far too stubborn to let this get the best of him."

Martha and Kate managed a small smile, but Alexis couldn't hide her numb and grief-stricken expression.

"Keep us posted. Ryan and I are going to hunt down the SOB that did this," Esposito said with determination. Kate and Lanie nodded as the two detectives walked with purpose to the exit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Characters of Castle are not mine. **

Chapter 3

Kate let out a sigh and began to pace, feeling as if she was going to crawl out of her skin. "Honey, why don't you go home and change. We—"

"I'm not leaving him here Lanie," Kate said with force. "Not until I know he's ok."

"Well then, let's at least get you to the bathroom and clean you up a bit." With some more convincing from Martha, Kate finally agreed.

Kate watched in disbelief reddish soapy water slip down the drawn as Lanie applied a warm soapy towel to her face. "I can't lose him, Lanie," Kate said sadly.

"Katherine Beckett, you need to think positive. He needs that now. Trust me, he feels the same way about you. You have to believe that he is not going anywhere."

"I do. I just can't help but think about where I would be without him. I barely survived my mother's murder. If I lose him too, I don't think…"

Lanie swallowed hard at her friend's honesty. Her heart ached for all of the pain she had to endure. Especially since she had finally gotten to a place where she was letting herself be truly happy.

"Hush! One thing at a time okay? You are the strongest person I know, but you are human. Just focus on one thing at a time." Kate leaned her head on Lanie's shoulder, feeling the soft patting of reassurance on the side of her head.

Kate felt a swift patting on her left arm. "Kate! Kate wake up! The surgeon is here," said Lanie. Kate wiped her hands over her eyes and stood up as quickly as she could without wobbling.

Martha and Alexis were holding onto each other and nodding their heads as Kate and Lanie walked up.

"…we'll know more when he wakes up," the surgeon concluded. Wakes up. Kate sighed in relief. He's alive.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Braden. When can we see him?" asked Martha.

"You can see him for a few minutes, being as that visiting hours do not begin for another three hours. I suggest you use that time to clean up and get some rest."

"Thank you, again. We'll only be a few moments," replied Martha politely. "C'mon, Kiddo," she said into Kate's ear while grasping for her and Alexis's hands. Lanie watched as the three of them headed to the recovery room. She wanted them to have these first moments alone with him.

Kate made it to the doorframe of his room, when the beeping sounds and the gentle buzz of the oxygen machine stopped her in her tracks. "Y-you to go ahead. I'll wait out here."

"Nonsense," coerced Martha, guiding her into the room.

The last time his mother saw him appear so helpless was on the day he was born. Kate and Alexis had never seen their source of strength appear so fragile. There were dark circles under his eyes, and the florescent light above his head only highlighted the paleness of his skin. His arms were placed neatly at his sides, the arm closest to them having needles and tubes inserted in it.

"Oh, Richard! My dear boy," Martha whimpered, tears falling down her face. "You just rest. We love you, Kiddo."

Alexis leaned in and kissed her father's cheek and whispered, "I love you, Daddy," in his ear. "Come back to us. I miss you already. I need you."

Kate could empathize with the pain and fear Alexis was feeling. She wasn't that much older than her when she got the news about her mother's death. _Hopefully this is the worst of it_, Kate wished silently. Martha encouraged Alexis to head toward the door to give Kate a moment alone with Rick.

Kate stood there silently for a few moments in the dimly lit room. She couldn't find the words for this occasion. He was the one that had the way with words. Kate allowed her finger to trail up the side of his arm until she reached his thick brown hair. She leaned her forehead against his temple, eventually planting a gentle kiss there. "I love you. So much. I'm counting on you to keep your promise of always being there. I'll be here when you wake up." She slowly laid her hand over his wound and said, "You're a truly a cop now."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thank you to those who have decided to follow, favorite and review my story! Sorry for the delay for the new chapter, but I've been sick the past few days. Feeling better now!**

**Disclaimer: Castle characters are not mine. **

Chapter 4

Beckett managed to get showered, properly dressed, and a few hours of restless sleep, before she arrived at the hospital once again.

As she was walking through the sliding doors and toward the elevator, her phone rang.

"Beckett."

"How's Castle doing? Is he awake yet?" Detective Esposito wondered.

"I'm on my way to his room right now. Did you guys find anything?"

"We looked at most of the street camera footage in front of the apartment building and found the clip where Castle was shot down." Kate closed her eyelids to shield herself from the awful memory. "There isn't any footage of anyone else walking around. But there's this, uni's and CSU found bullet casings and gunpowder residue while canvassing the fourth floor of the apartment building across the street from Castle's. They're running ballistics now and are continuing their canvass.

"Right, keep me posted."

"You got it."

"Thanks." At the end of their conversation, Kate found herself standing in the hallway outside Castle's room.

Martha and Alexis's things were in the room. _They must've gone downstairs for coffee or food, _Kate concluded. His skin had returned to his natural pigment, and his hands felt warmer.

"Hey, Castle," Kate greeted. She carefully picked up his hand, scooting the chair next to his bed slightly closer. "I know you like to sleep in late, but this is ridiculous." She could have sworn she saw his lips twitch, which made her smile and give his hand a stronger squeeze. In a split second, she felt his fingers tug at hers. "Castle? Castle, it's Kate. Wake up. Please!"

He continued to lye completely still. Crouching to reach her lips to his ear she whispered. "Wake up, Rick. I _need_ you to wake up. Did you hear me? I _need_ you." He head gently rocked. "That's it. Wake up."

She looked intently at his eyes. "Let me see those dazzling blue eyes."

"Kate, darling, would you like some coffee?" Martha offered.

"We have muffins too," Alexis added.

Turning around, Kate burst, "Alexis, get the nurse. I think your dad is waking up. His eyes are starting to open!"

Alexis ran out of the room, her heart swelling with hope. Martha walked to the other side of the bed, picking up her son's other hand. "Rise and shine, Kiddo. We're all waiting for you."

Castle slowly fluttered his eyelids open. The room was so bright. His whole body felt heavy. He squinted his eyes, waiting for the blurry surroundings to become clear. He saw ceiling tiles and heard loud beeps.

"There you are." Now that was a familiar voice. He shifted his eyes to his side and saw his beautiful angel standing there with her amazing smile, eyes glistening. He wanted to smile back, but something wasn't letting him. He went to speak, but instead began to gag on the tube that was going down his throat.

The nurse entered the room just in time to press some buttons and begin removing the tube. "We need everyone to stand back." A few moments later two more nurses entered the room, stepping around the Castle family. Kate immediately noticed Alexis's expression and grabbed her hand.

"It's ok. He's just caught of guard by the breathing tube. He'll be alright in a minute." Alexis squeezed Kate's hand in response.

Just as Kate promised, the nurses began to slow, the beeping of the heart monitor returned to its even rhythm, and everything was returning to normal.

"He should be much more comfortable now. I'll let Dr. Braden know he's awake," said the nurse as the hospital staff left the room.

"Where's my…girl?" Castle rasped, taking everyone by surprise.

"Dad!" Alexis sat on the side of his bed, kissing his cheek and resting her head on his shoulder.

"Pumpkin," he drawled slowly. She pecked his cheek again as he pulled her softly into his famous daddy bear hug.

"I love you, Daddy."

"Love you."

"Hey, Kiddo, welcome back," said Martha her usual upbeat motherly tone.

Castle smiled warmly at his mother, yet again melting her heart. "Kate?" he spoke out to the room, unable to see her.

"I'm here," she said soothingly stepping into his view at the foot of the bed.

"Do you remember what happened?"

Castle lifted his hand and rested it over his wound. "Shot."

The barely audible response made the Detective ache for him. "That's right. Ryan and Esposito will stop by later. They're already looking for the person that did this to you."

Castle's neck could no longer support his head being raised, and his head fell back toward the pillow.

"Can we get you anything?" Alexis asked.

"Water."

"Be right back." She gave him another kiss.

"I'll go see what's keeping the doctor," Martha added, making her way out the door.

"Come," he waved over to Kate, still clenching on the railing at the foot of the bed. He patted for her to sit next to him on the bed.

As her body weight shifted the mattress, she could tell he was holding back a grimace. She stood back up. "See, I don't want to hurt you."

"It's ok." He patted the same spot again.

Again she sat, only more slowly. "I'm so sorry, Castle."

"Shhh." He held his palm up to the side of her face, cupping her cheek.

"You…love me." He smiled, attempting to display his charming expression.

"Always," she breathed, holding his soothing hand in place.

He closed his eyes to savor the words, letting them seep into his mind, body, and soul. Kate allowed warm tears to flow freely in relief and love, trickling in the palm of his hand.

Kate felt a twinge of guilt every time she thought of Castle lying in that hospital bed with out her near him. When Castle was asleep or having tests ran she had watched him, silently trying to piece together evidence to find the shooter that almost made her world fall to pieces. But she knew that the only way she could really help him is by bringing his shooter to justice.

Now at the 12th Precinct, Kate sat at her desk, reviewing the newest leads for the tenth time. The gunpowder residue was from a sniper rifle typically used in the military, as Esposito had pointed out. It was shot from the fourth floor of the building across the street, shot from apartment 416. No prints or physical evidence other than the bullet casings were left at the scene and the security camera footage was hacked into and forced into a loop, showing no one new in the hall or entering the vacant apartment.

As Kate stared at her almost completely empty whiteboard, she stared at photographs of the crime scene on the sidewalk, and apartment 416, hoping to find some sort of connection or clue that was overseen. She made a mental note to bring the photographs of the apartment to Castle when she was going back to visit him later. He was always good at seeing subtle clues that were obvious to most.

Deciding to change her thought process, she uncapped her marker, writing "Suspects". She specified the suspect would have military training or have the resources to hire someone with military training and have a motive to kill Richard Castle.

Just as she began listing names, Esposito walked up next to her.

"I thought you said 3XK was dead. Castle shot him," he said.

"He did, multiple times. But Castle seemed to believe that he was still alive. They never found his body, so it's possible."

"Do you think it's," he looked around to make sure no one was too close to hear, "Bracken?" he whispered.

"We have an agreement. If he doesn't want to be exposed, he leaves everyone I care about alone."

"What if he found out you don't have the complete file?" Javier pointed out. "The man has the connections."

"Who has connections?" Ryan asked coming around the corner of the bullpen.

"Did you guys get anything from the canvass?" Kate asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Whoever the shooter was, knew the schedule of the people on that floor of the building. Most of the tenants in the rooms adjacent were out of the building at that time. Some people from other floors heard the faint sound of a gunshot, but had no idea where it came from. Evidently, either their television was on or there was too much background noise. No one saw anyone different or new enter the building. There were the same maintenance workers and even the same delivery guys, but we got their names and a tenant list from the Super and we'll start running them now."

"Nice work, Ryan. Keep me posted." Ryan nodded and headed for his desk.

"Do you want me to look into…"Javi whispered to Beckett as Gates stood in the doorframe of her office.

"No. I made the arrangement. I'll look into it. For now, just help Ryan run the names of the tenants and maintenance workers for that building. If nothing pops, I'll arrange a meeting with him."

"Ok. Let me know if you need anything else," he offered.

Kate smiled and nodded as Captain Gates approached her.

"Any leads yet, Detective?"

"No solid ones yet, Sir. Detective Ryan and Esposito are running names of people who have access to the building Castle was shot from."

"How is Mr. Castle?" the usually straightforward Captain asked with sympathy.

"He's hanging in there. His spirits are high," Kate said truthfully.

"That's good to hear. Tell him that the 12th wishes him a speedy recovery."

"I will. Thank you, Sir."

"With that being said," Gates continued, "I've put a security detail on Mr. Castle and his family until his shooter is in custody." Taking a step closer to Kate, she added, "I know this case is already personal, Detective, being as that he is your partner. I want you to know that I will be watching you and your team _very_ closely to ensure that you are following where the _evidence_ leads and is remaining objective."

"Understood, Sir."

"I hope so, Detective."

Kate watched as Captain Gates made her way to the other end of the bullpen and could only think about two things: catching the SOB that shot her partner and how there was no way Captain Gates was going to stop her from meeting that objective.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who is following my story. This is my first time writing a mystery and it extremely challenging for me, so forgive me on the length of time between posts. I've been doing a lot of second-guessing and revising. Please let me know what you think and if there's anything I need to elaborate more on. Episode references will be made in this and future chapters from season four and five, so minor spoilers will be coming for those seasons (although I'm sure more of you who are reading this have seen every episode :)**

**Disclaimer: Castle does not belong to me. **

Chapter 5

Kate waited while nervously curling her hair around her index finger as she watched Castle flip through the enlarged crime scene photos from where he was shot and the vacant apartment the shooter was in. She couldn't help but notice the crow's feet that went deeper around his eyes as he squinted to look more closely at the photos.

Suddenly the loud silence was interrupted. "And you said that there were no prints or anything left in this apartment."

"None." Kate replied, shaking her head out of her trance. "We're just hoping something pops by running the names of tenants and workers." Rick nodded, looking back at the photos. Kate Beckett was no stranger to being the target of some psychopathic criminal. She had learned to deal with that. She signed up for it just be being a cop. But to see the man she loved so fiercely be on the wrong side of a rifle barrel, made her feel a sense of fear that was new and had a far stronger grip on her. Grateful that she hadn't lost him on that haunting night and that he was now helping her yet again catch another bad guy, she endearingly stroked the back of his head and neck.

Rick put the photos on his lap and smiled at her warmly, reaching for her hand as she paced. Placing her hand in his, he gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze before kissing the back of it. "We'll find who's behind this. I've got New York's finest and sexiest detective to work my case."

Kate rolled her eyes and replied, "As long as Gates thinks I'm able to be objective. Which reminds me, she says to wish you well from everyone at the 12th."

"So all I had to do to get some recognition from Captain Gates is get hunted and shot by a lunatic. Good to know." Sighing heavily, Kate reached up and stroked his warm, stubbly cheek with the back of her fingers. Rick furrowed his brow and pouted his lips to sulk in his realization for a moment before picking up the photos again from his lap. "Whoever shot me knew where I lived and must've put in a lot of planning to get the timeframe just right. It could've been someone close enough to me or us to listen to our plans that night."

"Yeah, but we made those plans in your apartment and we were—"

"Alone!" they both said simultaneously.

"We should have your apartment checked for any listening devices," Kate concluded.

Just then, Kate's phone rang. "It's Espo," she mouthed, bringing the phone up to her ear.

"Beckett."

"Yo! We just finished running all the names of the tenants in the apartment building and any usual delivery workers."

"And?"

"All three delivery workers that delivered to that building in the past week checked out. No priors or training to use military weapons and we checked their alibis to be sure. None of the deliveries were suspicious and all of their alibis checked out. Same for the doorman of the building."

"What about the tenants?"

"There are four tenants that have criminal backgrounds, but it's mostly minor misdemeanors nothing involving attempted murder. Plus none of them seem to have a connection to Castle. One of them, a Jake Porter has history of B&E and gun possession, so it's possible he could've amped up his game."

"Do you know a Jake Porter?" Beckett asked Castle, hand covering the lower part of her phone.

"No. Never heard of him."

"Unless we can find a motive that purely conjecture," Kate determined. "What about tenants that recently moved in-let's say within the last six months?"

The sound of flipping papers came through the speaker. "Uh, there are two tenants that have moved in within that time frame. The first is a Pamela Uldrich who moved in five months ago and the other is Martin Gould who moved in last month. Both of them moved in alone and neither of them are in the system." Once again Beckett repeated their names to Castle, but he never heard of either of them.

Taking a moment to think, Beckett responded, "My gut tells me that our shooter has military or tactical training of some sort."

"That's what I thought," said Detective Esposito. "But we didn't find anyone with a military background that lives in this building. It's possible that whoever the shooter is, is using a fake identity."

"Which keeps us as square one." Kate let out a frustrated breath. "I guess for now just look into Jake Porter and see what you can dig up. But first send CSU to Castle's loft and see if they can find evidence of listening devices. When Castle and I made our plans for that night, we talked about it alone in his apartment."

"You got it." After pacing throughout the entire conversation, Kate plopped back down in the chair next to Castle's hospital bed.

"Hey," Castle said, reaching for her hand. "We have been through this process plenty of times and we should come to expect that it takes time. We'll get a solid lead. We just have to be patient."

"We can't afford to be patient, Rick. Not when your life is at stake," she blurted, looking down at his white bed sheets. Castle was all too familiar with feeling helpless in protecting the person that you love who was a target, and could not find the words to say comfort her. The awkward silence made Kate stand and begin to pace along the side of his bed. Running her fingers through her hair nervously, she decided to rely on her training and ability to develop theory to keep her emotions in check. "So, whoever wanted you dead, must've been following you around for a while. He probably knew your usual spots."

Looking straight ahead at the wall, Castle squinted his eyes as he searched his memory. "For the past few weeks, I haven't gone anywhere out of the ordinary. I've gone to the precinct, to the usual coffee shop every morning, the bank, the grocery store, your apartment and the loft."

"Did you get the sense that anyone was following you?" Kate probed, eyes staring at him intently.

"No, I—" he paused. "Unless…"

"What? Unless what?" She asked eagerly, gripping the sidebars on his hospital bed.

"This could be nothing, but now that I think about it, I've been seeing a black Mercedes everywhere lately. I mean, this is New York and there are probably hundreds if not thousands of these cars traveling through the city every day."

"But it did strike you as out of the ordinary…" she prompted.

Turning to look into her eyes, he said, "Yes, but I don't know if it's much of a lead-if it can be considered one at all."

"It's something. We can check the traffic cams around your apartment, the coffee shop, and the precinct, and see if there is a black Mercedes that has been making frequent appearances. I'll get Ryan on this," she said, making her way to the door, cell phone held up in front of her.

"Kate," Rick said quiet, concerned tone. It was a tone that made Kate always stop in her tracks. She turned around, standing in the doorway. "Be careful. I've been thinking it could be Tyson or linked to your mother's murder in some way. They are my only known enemies that are this professional and would have a motive to kill me."

Kate paused to take a deep breath, buying herself precious seconds to say what he needed to hear. Stepping closer to him, she picked up his hand. In the most comforting voice she could muster, she replied, "There is no proof that Tyson is alive." Just as Castle opened his mouth to argue the point, the detective continued, "Which means he doesn't have a motive to come after you. He got what he wanted. He has disappeared and if he makes any sign of criminal activity or if there is a sighting, we'll know about it. As far as being related to my mother's murder—" she leaned in close and said, "The deal is still on. If any evidence leads to _him_, all I have to do is make a phone call." She planted a sweet, endearing kiss on his cheek, and ran her hand along the side of his face.

"Don't go anywhere alone. Promise me you will stay with Ryan or Esposito and keep me posted," he pleaded, gripping her hand a bit tighter for emphasis.

"I promise," she said quickly, "I'll be back later tonight before visiting hours end. You just rest."

With a final peck on his mouth she strode to the doorway and down the hall. Castle had an uneasy feeling turning his stomach. He knew all too well the crazy things Kate Beckett can do when her loved ones are threatened. This time, however, he couldn't be there to stop her.

She had been sitting with Ryan for hours looking at footage from the street outside Castle's apartment and the Precinct the day before and of Castle's shooting. Rubbing the back of her neck and twisting her back, she attempted to alleviate the stress-induced stiffness. Just as she looked up to the ceiling, praying for a lead, Ryan exclaimed, "I think I found something. There!" He used his fingers on the smart-screen to enhance the image. "A black Mercedes is shown across the street from the Precinct. It sat there for about an hour."

"When was this?" Beckett wondered.

"The day before the shooting. Time stamp is at 6 p.m. and the car sits across the street until 7p.m. But I didn't see anyone come out of or enter the car."

"Castle has been going home between 5 and 7 p.m. all week to get some writing done. Let's look at the footage for the same day, starting at 7 o'clock at night outside Castle's apartment building."

Ryan opened another window showing the footage. As he fast-forwarded through 7 o'clock, they both shouted, "There!" Ryan paused the footage on both screens. The windows appear to be tinted and due to shorter daylight hours the winter season brings, the car is not illuminated by anything other than the dim yellowish glow from street lamps.

"The license plate is too blurry to make out," Ryan observed. They both squinted their eyes in hopes to make out something but with no success. Zooming in only made the image blurrier.

"Well," Beckett exhaled, "At least we know that Castle was being followed by someone in that car. We have something more solid to go on now."

"I may have more than that," Esposito said, entering darkened room with small evidence bag in hand.

"What do you got?" Kate asked, pushing away from the wooden desk she had been leaning against.

"Looks like your hunch paid off. CSU found three listening devices around Castle' loft. One under the desk in his office, one behind the dresser in his bedroom, and one under the dining room table," he informed, handing the small plastic bag to Beckett.

"I could see how Castle could easily miss these. They're so tiny." Kate noted. All three listening devices could fit on her pinky finger—with room to spare.

"CSU ran them for prints, but they were clean. And finding where they came from or who purchased them isn't going to be easy. They were unable to locate any manufacturer information on them. No i.d. numbers, letters, logos, names, nothing."

"Unmarked spy equipment that none of us has seen before?" Ryan thought aloud. "Who would have access to that?"

Kate's eyes widened as a single person entered her mind. "I have to make a phone call."


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Thank you to all the reviewers. Your encouragement really helps. There are direct references made to this seasons first episode in this chapter, to give some context. **

**Disclaimer: As always, the characters of Castle are not mine.**

Chapter 6

Kate's eyes darted back and forth between the digital clock on her dashboard and the endless number of streetlights. She had exactly one hour before visiting hours would end and she just had to see him.

All that was on her mind was that dreaded phone call she knew she would have to make—whether Castle supported the idea or not. Her thoughts were so focused on what to say to Castle and to _him_ that she startled herself when the sight of the hospital's driveway was fast approaching.

As she walked through the sliding doors, she felt a chill as the sterile hospital smell invaded her senses. Although she was grateful for the doctors here for saving her own life and the life of the man she loved, she silently cursed the fact that she had to return to this dreaded place.

Beckett flashed a quick smile and nod to the nurse behind the desk as she turned down the hall to Castle's room. She saw an armed police officer at the door, silently thanking Captain Gates for keeping her word. She flashed her badge and said, "I can take over for a while. You can take a break."

The large guard looked at her badge and looked down the hall to the elevator to the cafeteria longingly. "Don't worry," the detective assured, "Gates doesn't have to know. Just be back in an hour." Without saying a word he made his way to the elevator that was about to make is evening a bit better.

A sound of giggling floated from Castle's room and into the hallway where Kate was standing. She could hear the deep tone of Castle's voice followed by the cheerful exuberance of his daughter. The sound gave Kate a warm feeling of home that brought a smile to her lips. It was a feeling she had feared that she would never feel again, and a feeling only he and his family could give her.

The sight now in front of her melted her heart. The light of the television and the fluorescent light just behind the bed illuminated the pair in the darkened room. Alexis's head was resting comfortably on her father's shoulder. Her strawberry hair was pulled back in a messy bun and she was obviously cozy wearing gray sweatpants and a sweatshirt while lying next to her dad on the hospital bed. Castle had the arm opposite of his wound wrapped around her with a look of contentment that Kate envied.

"Hey," Castle let out with a chuckle, his eyes now on Kate.

"Hi, Detective Beckett," Alexis said, sitting up lazily.

"Hey. You don't have to get up you know. I can come back," Kate replied, tucking a section of hair awkwardly behind her ear.

"No!" Rick and Alexis spoke simultaneously.

"I have to get going anyway," Alexis sighed. "I have an early class tomorrow." She put on her boots and jacket and picked up her purse from the chair. Bending down to her father's cheek, following up with a kiss, saying, "I'll see you tomorrow as soon as my classes are done."

"Be careful, Sweetheart," cautioned Rick in his fatherly tone.

"I will. Night, Dad!" She said, giving Kate a small smile and touching her hand on the way out. "Night, Detective Beckett."

"Night, Alexis." Kate stepped forward, taking off her jacket and laying on the chair where Alexis' once was.

"How you feelin', handsome?" asked Kate, gently kissing Rick's warm lips.

"Better," he exhaled while sitting himself up. "The doctor says I can go home in a couple of days."

"That's great!" Kate sat on the side of the bed, resting her hand on his leg.

Castle gripped her slender hand in his before sincerely uttering, "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Castle puckered his lips for a kiss and Kate most willingly obliged.

"How was your day? Any new leads?" Kate saw how his brow furrowed, and the peace that was shining from his eyes was quickly dimming.

"No," she lied, not wanting to worry him. " Just dead ends mostly." Rick noticed how she quickly averted her eyes to their intertwined hands and how her top teeth were tugging at the corner of her lower lip.

"Kate." He picked up her chin with his index finger, forcing her to look into his eyes. "Tell me what's going on."

_I don't want to_, she thought. "Nothing."

"I want to know what's going on. After all that's happened, you owe me that." There was a minute of silence as Kate was gathering up the courage to handle his reaction. Rick patiently waited as he stared at her.

"Your gut about the black Mercedes was right. There was one that was following you. Ryan still has more videotape to go through, but we found a connection." Castle nodded, hanging on her every word. "And CSU found three micro-sized listening devices at your apartment."

"What?! Someone was in my house? My mother, Alexis—" The steady beeping rhythm on the heart monitor was gradually increasing its pace.

"Calm down. Breathe," Kate said, petting his chest. "It's ok. Martha and Alexis are under police protection. Your apartment has been swept thoroughly and nothing dangerous was found. There is a protective detail outside the loft and your mother is safe. Alexis is miles away at her dorm." Castle laid his head back on his pillow, willing himself to calm down. After all, he had three precious women in his life that were counting on his strength.

Kate cautiously slid her body next to his, hoping to take his mind off of things. Rick could feel the warmth of her body pressed up against his side and legs. He wrapped his arm around her, wanting to feel her closer. It didn't matter if it caused him physical pain. His soul yearned for her to be closer. She tucked her head under his chin, taking in his scent. Castle could smell the sweet flowery scent of her hair instantly sending a wave of calmness through his nerves. "I guess there's nothing else we can do right now," Castle conceded.

"Well, there is something we can do—to relieve stress," Kate said seductively.

Raising one eyebrow, Rick replied with feigned shock, "Why Katherine Beckett, this is a hospital."

"And I've got just the treatment you need." Slowly her lips danced on his, their kiss deepening with each passing second. Their hands touched each other's face and hair, before roaming up and down the curves of each other's body. Once again, his heart monitor began to beep frantically. Unable to ignore the sound any longer, Kate pulled away with flushed cheeks and slightly swollen lips.

"You…are…dangerous," said Rick, catching his breath.

"Is everything ok in—" said the nurse who quickly blushed at the sight of the lovers. "I guess so." Quickly she pivoted out of the room, trying to hold back her smile.

Kate, who had been startled to an upright position, covered her face in embarrassment. She looked over bashfully at Castle who said, "You are so cute when you're caught in the act."

She playfully swatted at his shoulder, rolling her eyes. Leave it up to Richard Castle to make her feel like a teenager again. For the next half hour they watched television together, creating their own commentaries and laughing at their ridiculous banter.

Kate looked up at the clock, "Well, I guess I should be going—visiting hours will be over soon." Rick held onto her arm as she swung her legs over the side of the bed.

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For looking out for me. My family."

"You all are my family," Kate smiled.

"I love you," he said sincerely.

"I love you too," she replied, kissing him quickly before putting on her jacket. "You get your rest."

"You do the same. And Kate, be careful. Please. Remember your promise to not to anything foolish." Kate swallowed hard.

"I'm not a child, Castle. I can take care of myself."

"I know. I know that. I just worry about you is all. Trouble has a tendency to—"

"Look, danger is apart of my job. But I am done for the night, and I am going home to take a nice…hot…bath."

Castle's jaw dropped at the vision that was playing in his mind. "So you're just gonna torture me like that and leave?"

"Yep." She followed her reply with a deep, long kiss that would leave a lasting impression. In a deep, sultry voice, she topped it off with, "Sweet dreams."

Castle was too stunned to say anything in return. The only word he could force out of his mouth was, "Whoa."

Kate was grinning ear to ear until she spotted the officer who had reclaimed his post outside Castle's room. "Night, Detective," he said in a deep voice, small crumbs of food illustrating evidence that he had a good meal on his break.

"Night, Officer." Kate had been brought back to reality. She felt the weight of the situation gradually add pressure to her shoulders and she walked to the parking garage. The only shining light of hope for the night was the thought of her bathtub, a glass of wine, and Rick's latest Nikki Heat book. But for now, she had a much more pressing task at hand.

"The remaining personnel are heading home. Is there anything else you need, Sir?"

"No, thank you. Tell Marie I said hello."

"I will. Goodnight Senator," said the political advisor, closing the office door behind him.

"Night." The Senator swung his coat from behind his chair and had one sleeve on when he heard he saw his cell phone light up on his desk. It was an unfamiliar number, but he had been receiving a lot of calls from anonymous donors, so he thought taking one more call would only help his campaign.

"Hello."

"Senator Bracken." A low-toned female voice sent a chill down his spine.

"Who is this?"

"The one with the power."

Thinking for a moment, the senator smiled, consciously touching the scar on his left cheekbone. "Detective Beckett. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I wanted to remind you off the terms of our little arrangement."

"I haven't forgotten, Detective," he said smugly.

"Really? Then why is my partner in the hospital with a bullet wound in his chest? Why did you put listening devices his apartment?" Beckett's voice was oozing with venom and disdain.

"Richard Castle has been shot? I'm sorry to hear that." The fake sincerity made Beckett want to hurl.

"Don't play dumb, Bracken. You know what happened didn't you? You made the order to put his place under surveillance and for a sniper to shoot him."

"And why would I do that, Ms. Beckett? We each have been keeping our end of the deal."

"Have we?"

He let out a chuckle. "Yes we have. Trust me, Detective, if the arrangement had changed at all, you would be _the first_ to know."

"If you are lying, we'll have to renegotiate our deal. And I won't be as generous with the terms.

"Be careful what you say, Ms. Beckett. Your threats can only go so far. You have far too much to lose."

"So do you," she snapped back, pressing the end call button on the burner phone she had purchased after leaving the precinct. She leaned her head back on headrest of her seat, her car windows fogging up from her breath. She opened up the door and lazily got out, beginning her strides toward her apartment.

Her eyes looked at their usual checkpoints as she entered the building; something that has been a part of her daily routine since she had moved into the place. She hated that feeling of constantly being on guard; constantly watching her back. The only thing that will put that feeling to rest is finally being able to bring the Senator down and hold him accountable for his crimes. But she knew that this day was neither going to be today, nor any day in the near future.

As she turned the key to the lock of her apartment and felt the comfort of her own home, she began habitually removing her jacket, shoes, and service weapon, she felt a little more of the weight of her day melt away. Finally she took out both the phones she had, continuing her gaze at the burner phone. Letting out all her anger and frustration from the whole ordeal, she threw the phone against the wall, watching it fall to pieces to the ground. Kate reminded herself to burn it later.

Looking around the quiet apartment, her eyes fell upon a picture of herself and Castle that was sitting on a nearby shelf. Castle had taken the picture on his phone. Their sides of their faces were pressed together, smiling indicating that they were laughing when taking the impromptu picture. Kate's finger lovingly caressed the glass covering Castle's side of the photo. It was then that a thought popped into her mind quickly erased her loving grin.

_If it wasn't Bracken, then who?_


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: This is a shorter chapter, but the next one will be much longer. We are now headed for the nitty gritty of solving this case once and for all. Thanks again to those who are following this story.**

**Disclaimer:** Castle is still not mine.

Chapter 7

Taking in a breath of fresh air, he exited the coffee house with one coffee in each hand. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed an oddly familiar black car. He began to squint as the suns rays gradually made the reflection off the car become brighter. His eyes started to water but he couldn't make himself look away. A bullet shot ripped through the air, ringing through his ears. Screams around him were deafening. His body tensed up, his eyes pressed tightly together, his hands getting hotter as he squeezed the paper coffee cups tighter. And suddenly—quiet. Too quiet.

Just as his eyes were beginning to feel relief from the burning, he saw a long-haired brunette, lying face down on the sidewalk next to him. He knelt down, putting down the contents within his hands, and cautiously turned the woman over by her shoulder. "Kate?" he gasped. "Kate! God no, Kate!"

Suddenly he felt a hand jerk on his shoulder. "Dad! Dad wake up! Dad?"

Richard Castle's eyelids jerked open. The bright lights of the hospital room blinded him briefly as he got his bearings on where he was. "Dad. It's ok. It was just a dream."

Rick swallowed hard, putting his hand over his rapidly beating heart. Beads of sweat glistened by his hairline and on his neck. Noticing Alexis's worried expression, he smiled, "No I know, Pumpkin. Just a nightmare. Nothing to worry about."

"Was it about you getting shot?" she asked innocently.

"What time is it?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Time to eat some decent food for a change," said Martha dramatically, one bag of food in each hand. "Some homemade smiley face pancakes should do the trick." She gave him a greeting peck on the cheek.

Rick smiled as he watched his mother empty the contents of the bag on the table hovering over his bed. He was grateful that he had two such amazing women to take care of him and nurse him back to health. Still, he found himself yearning to see a certain detective—healthy and with good news.

Kate's wandering and worrying mind refused to let her get a minute of restful sleep. It seemed that every time she entered a deep sleep state, the image of Castle getting shot replayed in her mind, jolting her awake again.

She was up and around before the sun, writing down her thoughts with a cup of coffee in hand. She looked at her question "If not Bracken, then who?"

She listed the evidence so far including the black Mercedes and listening devices. Money was the next word on her random listing of thoughts. Whoever had access to expensive cars and high-end technology must've had money and connections. She knew the Rick Castle had many wealthy friends, but enemies? Who would have a motive to kill Rick Castle?

Detective Beckett strode through the bullpen, darkened bags under her eyes. She immediately took off her jacket, plopped down in her chair, and ran her fingertips through her hair.

"You alright, boss?" asked Detective Esposito.

"Yeah," replied Beckett, straightening her posture and grabbing a pencil. "I just have a lot on my mind is all." Out of habit she looked at the empty chair next to her desk, nervously tapping her pencil. Javi knew his team leader well enough to know that the only way to help Beckett is to get Castle back and put his shooter behind bars. No one could snap her out of these funks except Castle.

"So, how did that phone call go?" he asked.

"Fine. Just another dead-end though. He claims he knew nothing about it."

"Bracken?" he mouthed, sitting in Castle's chair. By his angered expression, she could tell that he wasn't thrilled with the idea. "What the hell were you thinking calling him?" he whispered. "You could've started a-."

"We just clarified the deal. Like I said, it was another dead end—at least for now. We just need to focus on getting some solid leads."

"I think I can help with that," chimed in Ryan, brown case file in hand. He handed her the opened file. Pictures of the black Mercedes outside the usual coffee shop Castle went to, the precinct, and the loft were shown. "Looks like whomever was following Castle has been doing so for a couple of weeks now. And get this…" he said pulling out a zoomed in photo of the rear of the car from the back of the file. "We got a license plate."

Kate's hazel eyes widened as she gripped the photo. "Did you run it?"

"Yep! Check this out," Ryan answered, waving her and Javi to his desktop computer.

"Roger Hastings. According to this he resides in the city."

"Why do I feel a but coming on?" Kate prompted.

"But the address belongs to an abandoned building. No one has lived there in years."

"A fake address could mean a fake identity. Still, we have his photo and license plate. Put out an APB and run the usual on him. Have unies lookout for the black Mercedes outside of the hospital and Castle's apartment."

"Whoever this guy is, he's a professional, has connections, and went through a lot of trouble to take down Castle," pointed out Javier.

"I want a picture of this guy on my desk in five minutes. Maybe Castle has seen him before," Kate stated authoritatively. "Meanwhile, I'll go update Gates." Esposito and Ryan couldn't help but watch the conversation through the glass of Gates' office. Over the years their lip-reading skills have improved. Looks like so far so good.

Kate walked in to Castle's room, once again acknowledging the guard. She showed the officer a picture of the newest suspect, briefly filling him in on the details.

"Kate, Darling, come! Join us!" Kate's nose crinkled at the sight of Castle sitting up and smiling at her sincerely. He always knew how to make her blush.

"Thank you, Martha, but unfortunately, I can't stay long." Kate quickly pulled the folder out of its envelope and handed it to Castle.

"We got a fix on the license plate of the car that's been following you." Martha stepped a little closer, her hand covering her mouth in awe. "His name is Roger Hastings although it's likely that he has a fake identity since his address isn't legit. Do you recognize him?"

"No. I've never seen this man before," he replied honestly.

"I have," admitted Martha, shock evident in her voice.

"You—You have?" Kate wondered. Castle looked intently at his mother.

"It was decades ago when I saw him last. He looks older now, but I have definitely seen this man before," Martha declared, pointing to the photo to punctuate her sentence.

"How did you know him?" Castle wondered, feeling a bit uneasy about asking about his mother's past. He usually would welcome his mother skipping over the details.

"We met at a wrap party of one of the plays I was in. It was so long ago I can't remember which one. It was one of my first roles I believe. A minor role, but I lit up the stage non-the-less." Kate and Castle exchanged glancing, amusement breaking the tension of the moment. "He was a very charming man at the time. Very mysterious if I remember correctly."

"Does the name Roger Hastings sound familiar to you?" Kate questioned.

"No. His name seems to be escaping me. Do you think he is the one that shot Richard?"

"Right now he's our prime suspect. We're just looking for any kind of proof or connection. Did you know this man long?" Detective Beckett probed.

Martha continued to stare at the picture. She closed her eyes trying to recapture the memory. "No," she concluded, opening her eyes to direct her attention back to Beckett. "In fact I saw him only the once. I never heard from him again. I can't imagine why he would want to harm my Richard though."

"Forgive me for asking this Martha, but did you two…" Kate paused, not sure how to ask Castle's mother this without feeling awkward.

"Have an intimate relationship?" Martha filled in. Castle winced at the sound of his mother using that phrase. "No. I remember us talking, maybe some subtle flirting, but nothing beyond that. I only saw him at the wrap party." Castle exhaled dramatically.

"Do you remember why he was there? Was he apart of the cast or crew?" Castle wondered.

"Oh, goodness no," his mother replied, tapping his leg. "You know, now that you mention it, I don't know why he was there. See dear, I was young and didn't care why you were at the party as long as everyone was having a good time. Celebrate first, ask questions later was my motto in those days."

"Well, any information helps. Please let me know if you remember anything else about him—anything at all. It could crack this case wide open."

"You know what," Martha said picking up her belongings, "I'm going to look through my old photo boxes. See if I have a picture of him hidden away somewhere. I'll be back later, Kiddo." She bent down to kiss her son's cheek and left.

Kate moved in closer to Castle, having a familiar expression on her face. "I know that look, Kate. What's on your mind?"

"It's just what your mother said. Why would someone she met once want to kill you? It sounded like they talked briefly at a party."

"Well, it's like you said, he's the suspect for now. There's no concrete evidence that he is the one that shot me. He has been following me around for a while."

"Two weeks to be exact," Kate clarified. "So he must have some sort of involvement."

"He hasn't followed my mother or Alexis has he?" he asked a hint of panic in his voice.

"No. We—" Kate's cell phone began buzzing in her pocket. Ryan's name appeared on the caller i.d.

"I'll be right back. I have to take this." Before Castle could contest, she was already headed out of the room and around the corner. He couldn't help but wonder if this stalker was also following his mother and daughter. Were they going to be harmed next? What did this man want with Castle's family? Question after question arose in his head, his writer's imagination getting away with him again.

Kate walked in, mouth agape. "What? Kate, what is it?"

"Ryan and Esposito got a response from the APB on Roger Hastings."

"And…"

"He's here."


End file.
